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"The Roacherian Effect" A novel by John C. Delavan
Chapter Four
Skipper's mind raced furiously as the Cobra sped south on the San Diego Freeway. Driving often seemed to help him solve nagging problems, but it didn't seem to be working this time. He had no conscious thought of where he was heading and was mildly surprised to find himself parking in front of his martial arts master's school, called a "dojang" in Korean. Skipper often came to the dojang and taught the Korean martial arts of Taekwondo and hapkido; assisting his master or giving him a break, though he did most of his own workouts at home these days. Holding a fifth degree black belt, Skipper was highly regarded as a master in his own right.
As he stepped through the door, Skipper observed proper dojang etiquette by saluting the American and Korean flags hanging side by side on the wall; then turned and bowed formally to his instructor, Grandmaster Kyung Ho Lee. After removing his shoes he walked across the mat to the locker room and put on his uniform or "dobok."
Master Lee was always happy to see his senior student. Even though it was obvious Skipper had a problem, Master Lee courteously didn't ask him about it. If Skipper wanted to discuss it, sooner or later he would bring it up. Then Master Lee would give it his full attention. To pry, without invitation, would be to intrude upon Skipper's privacy; and he would never insult Skipper that way.
As he read his Bible, he was also aware of Skipper practicing forms, speed-conditioning, kicking and stepping drills until his dobok was soaked with sweat. The tall, agile athlete needed no help or correction during his practice. He knew his art well enough to know what he didn't know. That alone ranked him above most "Masters." Master Lee had observed in the past that the seriousness of Skipper's problem was usually revealed by the intensity of his workout; and today, after three hours of grueling training, he knew Skipper had a serious problem indeed.
"Excuse me, Master Lee. . .?" Skipper asked. Even though they were also close personal friends, Skipper always maintained the elaborate formality of master/student courtesy. Even in private, he always observed Korean etiquette with his mentor. "I have a case that troubles me. May I discuss it with you?"
"Yes, Skipper. You, of all my students, know our Korean martial arts are much more than physical training; going on to become mental training for the student to apply to his personal life as well. As I often choose to discuss my thoughts of life with you, it is fitting that we also discuss yours. We can only hope that our answers to one another are worthy of the questions asked."
"And yours are always of great help, Sir."
"What concerns you so?"
"Today my friend, Bert Johnson, came to see me with a problem at his company. I went there and saw evidence of very cunning infiltration work. It wasn't the work of a simple martial artist or even a good thief. Two men crossed heavily guarded grounds, scaled a five-story wall, and entered the building undetected by either guards or electronic devices. They opened a vault, probably stole very sensitive information stored there, closed it again and left without being seen or heard. I know something they did is the key to identifying and finding them, I can feel it, but I can't put my finger on what it is. Everything they did was relatively simple. I know almost every move they made, because I've done them all myself under other circumstances. I have a feeling that something I saw today, evidence of what they did two days ago, is the key."
"Skipper, do you remember Sun Tzu?"
"Yes, Sir. The ancient Chinese General who wrote The Art of War. It and The Book of Five Rings by the Japanese samurai warrior, Miyamoto Musashi, are two of the greatest books ever written on combat strategy. They are still studied today, not only by military tacticians, but also by businessmen all over the world as textbooks for corporate strategy."
"Yes. Sun Tzu said, 'Lay bare the mental mechanism of your enemy. Study him and study him again. Do not be misled by his simplicity.' We must infer from this not to allow our enemy's simplicity to confuse us. Take each thing these men did and study it as a separate thing. Consider where he may have learned it, and then you may be able to answer your own questions."
Skipper drove home from the dojang on "auto pilot," deep in thought. In his mind he put Master Lee's advice to work as he began to dissect the events he could establish and examined them one by one. On the way, he stopped by the fish market he often frequented, and picked up some fresh Pacific red snapper filets for tonight's meal. He already had everything else he and Patti would need for dinner on hand.
* *
Back home, Skipper fired up the barbecue grill on the patio with his favorite mesquite charcoal; then left it to burn down to perfect grilling temperature. Tossing his dobok into the washing machine along with some underclothes and a shirt, he headed upstairs where he stripped down and stepped into the shower. His mind was boiling through every detail he could remember about what he'd been told and everything he'd observed for himself at Intertech. In his mind he always returned to the marks on the inside edge of the rooftop wall. What was it about those small gouge marks? Again, a feeling of dread crept through him. Was he good enough? Skipper's self doubt was a private demon -- even Bert didn't know Skipper wasn't always as self-assured as he appeared. Taking a deep breath, he let the steaming water wash away his fear.